Shoes, Truly Yours

You can stop being in love with someone, but you can never stop loving them.

I’ll write your name in the ledge of my book 
with the rest of the people who’ve lost me for good

I should hang up our memories,
no, not in the hall
in fact I’ll take all our photographs down off the wall 

Maybe I’ll hide them deep in the back of my closet
next to the birthday card you got me, 
where I’m pretending I forgot it
leave them right beside the shoes 
too broken to use
shut the door tight
and get on with my life

That bottle of wine I brought you from France? 
Guess I’ll drink it alone, 
some night after class.

Then I’ll read Tolstoy and listen to 
Sonata in E flat by Strauss
sometimes refold the shirt you left at my house

Shakespear quoted, me thinks
Expectation is the root of all heartache
Just an eloquent way 
to say: disappointment is heartbreak 

I’m a connaisseur of things that are no good for me
like charming boys that don’t give a damn
high heels
and strawberry ice cream

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said
there’s no love the same twice
some burns up with passion
some shatters like ice
Ours was a comfort
Like well worn in shoes
with cracks in the leather
and soles that betrayed their use.

I never thought
you wouldn’t love me
just as a person 

who couldn’t give you their heart
just friendship and attention. 

I guess shoes wear out though
And it makes my mom laugh

Just like you, I don’t get rid of my shoes that don’t last

Habit dictates I’m not likely to throw them away
but these have walked over too many eggshells

this pair can’t stay.

Reviews

[Meredith]

Nice write. I like the rhythm and it's very emotive. Very good poem :)

[dan]

Siobahn, I like the way you wrote this, using irregular rhyme patterns, not straightforward. The story is told very well using imagery and sequential story lines. The topic has touched millions of others (myself included) who fell in love but found it unrequited. In doing so you know that many readers will identify and nod their heads. Very nicely done.
I'm accepting your friend request; I ask that you send read requests for the ones you would like me to review. I get so many of them, but I always answer them all in due time. I don't have much more time to spend looking up my friends and finding ones to review. I should tell you that I have several MH disorders that prevent me from maintaining focus and concentration on long writes such as books, stories and chapters. It's very nice to 'meet you.' take care...dan